Horse rider thanks air ambulance for helping her walk again after Sherwood Forest accident

A horse rider has recalled how close she came to never walking again after suffering serious spinal injuries in an accident at Sherwood Forest.
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And Cassandra Jameson says it was only the quick response of the Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance (DLRAA) that means she is not now confined to a wheelchair.

Cassandra, 44, always recalls the incident at this time of year as it was on the August bank holiday in 2009 that it happened.

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Cassandra said: “Almost every day I do something and think that there was a good chance I may not have walked again.

Cassandra Jameson believes she would be in a wheelchair without the quick work of the air ambulanceCassandra Jameson believes she would be in a wheelchair without the quick work of the air ambulance
Cassandra Jameson believes she would be in a wheelchair without the quick work of the air ambulance

"It is thanks in huge part to the air ambulance that I still have a normal life and can do the things I enjoy.”

The accident back in 2009 happened when Cassandra fell from her horse during show jumping lesson at a riding school in Sherwood Forest.

She recalled: “I had feeling in my legs but not around my torso, which was worrying.”

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The impact of the fall badly compressed Cassandra’s spine and she sustained a fracture to her L1 vertebrae in the middle of her back and damage to three vertebrae in her neck.

Due to the seriousness of the injuries and the remote location of the accident, the air ambulance attended.

It was vital for a successful recovery that she had the smoothest and quickest transfer to be treated at the Royal Derby Hospital and the flight took just nine minutes.

She said: “I am eternally grateful that I was flown in the helicopter as by land ambulance it would probably have been a very different outcome.

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“Thanks to the air ambulance I am able to walk again and I’m not in a wheelchair.”

After being assessed by doctors, she underwent a six-hour emergency operation to repair her spine.

Amazingly, she was up and walking later that day and discharged from hospital after a week.

During her recovery, she did some fundraising for various charities, including DLRAA.

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She said: “I will forever be a supporter of the air ambulance charity – without it, I would not have had many of the life experiences I have enjoyed since my accident.

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